"At a time in our city when many seem in a constant state of mourning, pain, outrage, and concern, grasping for hope, we can be thankful for a moment today that some hostages have been released to return home to their families, and that the violence in Gaza that has taken many thousands of lives, destroyed homes and families, has ceased temporarily. We can be grateful for this progress, but we cannot be satisfied with it.
"Humanity demands the return of all remaining hostages, and a lasting cessation of the violence and suffering we have seen. Humanity demands the destruction and death in Gaza over the past seven weeks does not just resume after a brief moment of respite. And we all have a moral obligation to use whatever voice and influence we have to push for inhumanity to end.
"Violence begets violence, and neither justice nor freedom nor safety nor strength nor peace is built on a body count."